


Origins

by procrastinatingperfectionist



Series: Miraculous! Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir: A fix-it fanfiction [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Aged-Up Character(s), Canon Rewrite, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Don't Have to Know Canon, Everyone is ~16, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sweet Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, because I love her and she deserves better, pls give me love ;w;
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26250802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/procrastinatingperfectionist/pseuds/procrastinatingperfectionist
Summary: As Marinette weaved her way through the pavements to Lycée François Dupont, she brushed past a little old man, nearly sending him to the floor. Apologising hurriedly, she helped him to right himself and set him back on his walking cane. He smiled gratefully at her, thanking her, before disappearing into the crowd.She was left no time to ponder his seeming disappearance. Hearing the bell ring from across the road, Marinette slapped her hand to her forehead, cursed under her breath, and broke into a sprint to get to class before the second bell.A little black box jostled in her bag as she ran, its red inscription glowing.Or: Another rewrite of Miraculous! Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, but now with more inspiration from A:TLA!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste & Chloé Bourgeois & Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Series: Miraculous! Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir: A fix-it fanfiction [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907014
Kudos: 11





	Origins

**Author's Note:**

> hey! so I'm new to the miraculous fandom, and I love the premise of this show, but I'm not exactly sure about the way that canon has taken the characterisations of all our favourite members of the gang. everyone in real life has nuance - and honestly, I feel like the MLB characters have become kind of caricatures instead of fully fleshed-out characters. I realise it's a kid's show but it has so much potential!! so I'm rewriting it, the way I'd like it done hehe. (I know this is in no way an original idea or anything but I still want to do it). this is my first fanfiction (ambitious, I know lol) so please treat me gently ;w; and let me know what you think!

**MARINETTE** ’s alarm was blaring again.

Ugh, why did she even set it in the first place??

She patted around her mattress, searching blindly for the vague shape of her phone, silencing it for the 5th time.

Her mother’s voice rang out from underneath her, “Marinette! You’d better get up - you’ll be late for your first day back at school!”

Prying her eyes open, she yawned and sat up, blearily humming in affirmation. Reluctantly, she pulled herself out of her bed’s warmth, regretting staying up to finish that finicky design more and more. Figuring that would be the most sleep she could possibly get, she moved to get dressed.

The perks of living in a bakery had to be the smells. As Marinette came downstairs, she was greeted with the familiar aromas of fresh pastries, especially warm pain au chocolat. She smiled and kissed both her parents in greeting.

Sabine’s expression was warm as Marinette took a seat at the breakfast counter opposite her. “Are you excited to start lycée, Marinette? You’re really growing up now!”

Marinette grinned, but rolled her eyes as she remembered something.

“Knowing my luck, Chloé will be in my class this year too.”

Sabine’s brow creased in concern. “Oh, Marinette. Think positive, it’s a new year and a new school. Maybe she’ll turn over a new leaf this year!”

Marinette scowled darkly into her cereal. “Somehow I doubt that,” she grumbled. 

As she pulled on her shoes, her father tapped her shoulder. She turned to face him. He was holding out a box in front of him.

“Here, Marinette! For your class,” Tom said, pushing it into her arms.

She opened the lid to find a row of pistachio macarons.

“Thanks, Papa! They’ll love them.” She grinned up at him and hugged his middle before running out the bakery.

As she weaved her way through the pavements to Lycée François Dupont, she brushed past a little old man, nearly sending him to the floor. Apologising hurriedly, she helped him to right himself and set him back on his walking cane. He smiled gratefully at her, thanking her, before disappearing into the crowd.

She was left no time to ponder his seeming disappearance. Hearing the bell ring from across the road, Marinette slapped her hand to her forehead, cursed under her breath, and broke into a sprint to get to class before the second bell.

A little black box jostled in her bag as she ran, its red inscription glowing.

**ADRIEN** was running. The bell had just rung-- he was nearly there, right before the steps of the lycée— finally— he stretched out his arms in an effort to outrun his father’s secretary and his bodyguard. Mindless of his surroundings, he charged into a man with a walking cane, sending them both sprawling to the floor. Dusting himself off, he helped the poor elder to his feet, hastily reeling off apologies. The old man in question just chuckled amiably, patting the younger’s shoulder before shuffling away, but not before he slipped a second black box into the boy’s messenger bag unnoticed.

He looked over his shoulder, his heart filling with dread. The collision had delayed him significantly. His giant bodyguard was hot on his trail, (Le Gorille, he was called, _completely_ _unironically_ ), followed closely behind by Nathalie, the secretary. He started to sprint towards the school gates, but in vain, as the Agreste family staff members caught up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Adrien Agreste,“ Nathalie clutched at him as she huffed for breath. “You are to return to your property at once. Your father does not permit you to go to school.”

Adrien looked pleadingly towards his bodyguard, trying to appeal to him.

Le Gorille, in all his taciturn glory, merely grunted in agreement.

  
Adrien knew when he was beaten. It seemed that this year too, he wouldn’t be able to go to school and be like all the other kids for once. For another whole year, he was stuck with Nathalie, inside the cold mansion, bored out of his mind and alone.

Nathalie opened the door, and he flopped into the back seat, defeated. “Could you at least not tell Father about this?” he pleaded. “I promise I won’t do it again.”

Nathalie studied his expression, before turning to face the road, not bothering to dignify him with a response.

He slouched in his seat and glared at the view moving outside the window, bidding goodbye to his brief taste of freedom.

Dismissed from his tutoring for the day, (since his father required his secretary for some ‘business crisis’) Adrien shut the door to his room and tossed his messenger bag across the floor in frustration. He could clean it up later.

A small jewellery box skittered from an open pocket. He frowned, crossing over to pick it up and inspect it.

He doesn’t remember seeing this before… How did it get in his bag?

The lines of a red inscription, like a crest, glowed faintly as he opened it. A folded note fluttered out, revealing a ring nestled amongst the velvet lining.

The note was written in pristine cursive.

You have been deemed worthy to bear the Black Cat miraculous and become Paris’ harbinger of destruction. It will be your responsibility to bring balance to Paris. If you should accept, wear the ring and the guise of Chat Noir and arrive at the Pont des Arts at 12 pm. Your kwami, Plagg, will explain more.

There was no signature on the note.

Okay. So there was A Lot to unpack here. Adrien had so many questions - most of them being:what?

He disregarded the note momentarily, going back to the contents of the box itself.

Adrien lifted the ring out. It seemed harmless - just a regular, large, silver ring, with a circle in the middle… for whatever reason. He supposed he couldn’t really say if these sorts of things were in vogue - he wasn’t on the jewellery modelling scene, and fashion trends was more his father’s domain, what with him being a fashion designer and all.

Oh yeah, did he mention that? He was ‘Adrien Agreste’, famed model son of renowned designer Gabriel Agreste, and the face of the Gabriel designer brand. Sounds like a cool life, until the slight downside that his father was too overprotective to let him go to school, not even lycée. Apparently it was ‘too dangerous’.

…Which had led him to this situation, in which he had found a strange ring and note with instructions that was probably more dangerous to follow than just going to school. Nice going, Father.

He slid the ring onto his finger.

Nothing happened.

Then a black rat-creature popped into existence.

“Man, it feels like I’ve been stuck in there for years!”

Adrien tripped and crashed backwards in fright.

**MARINETTE** burst through the doors to her class, gasping for breath, and yelled, “Present!” just as Mme. Bustier called her name on the roll. Relieved she technically wasn’t late, she nearly tripped over the threshold as the adrenaline left her, and slumped into the first seat that wasn’t occupied. It was next to one of the new kids, who hadn’t transferred from Collége François Dupont.

Marinette folded over her desk, exhausted, and the new girl looked up from her phone.

“Hey! It’s nice to meet you, my name is Alya.” Alya grinned and proffered her hand. Marinette tentatively shook it, and smiled at her. “Guess we’re seat buddies this year, huh?” She glanced at the box on the desk. ”Those macarons look nice.”

Marinette thanked her shyly. It seemed Alya’s extroverted personality had taken pity on her awkward self, and was taking her under her wing.

She summoned the nerve to approach the common topic of the comic book splayed open on her desk, when Mme Bustier was interrupted by the doors crashing open for a second time.

Marinette rolled her eyes and slouched in her seat, making herself look smaller. Chloé Bourgeois, tornado that she was, barged into the classroom, loudly announcing her arrival. She strode to Marinette’s desk and swiped the box of macarons with a saccharine ‘thanks, Dupain-Cheng,’ before taking off to where her sycophant Sabrina had saved her a seat.

Marinette was resigned to it. This happened all the time. Who was she to think that Chloé could ever change? Ugh, what a waste of perfectly good macarons.

Alya stood up indignantly. “What was that for? You can’t just do that!” she insisted.

Marinette gave it to her - Alya could be very loud and angry sounding. She tugged on her shirt to try pull her back into her seat, to no avail.

Chloé smirked from her perch. “Of course I can! Dupain-Cheng has been giving me them for years! Isn’t that right, Marinette?”

In response, Marinette slouched further into her seat. She could feel the eyes of her classmates boring into her.

Chloé continued, “Besides, it’s Adrikins’ first day here! I have to give him a welcoming gift, don’t I? And everyone knows the Dupain-Cheng bakery is the best around here.”

(Marinette took begrudging pride in that last statement.)

Alya scoffed. “Even so, you didn’t ask for her consent! Consent always has to be reaffirmed. Just because she gave it to you once doesn’t mean she wants to give it to you every time!“

Mme Bustier cleared her throat, cutting off the rest of Alya’s argument. Marinette pulled her back into her seat, and she huffed.

Marinette turned to her. “Thanks for standing up for me,” she whispered gratefully. Shy, she offered her half of a macaron she’d saved from the box in anticipation of Chloé’s antics.

Alya’s expression softened, and she gave her a small smile in return, accepting the cookie. “Anytime, girl.”

“If we’re quite finished. Welcome to Lycée, everyone!” Mme Bustier introduced the class, outlining the syllabus for the year.

Chloé rolled her eyes in disdain. That new girl was so righteous - ridiculous!

She glanced down to the empty seat she’d saved for Adrien, biting her lip. He promised he would come this year…

She tightened her arms protectively around herself, hoping that her efforts convincing his parents to let him go wouldn’t have been in vain this year too.

The bell let out for first break, and Marinette slid into a seat at the cafeteria, taking out something sweet made with love by the Dupain-Cheng pâtisserie. A light cough made her look up, and Alya grinned at her.

“Do you mind if I sit with you, Marinette?”

Marinette smiled and made space for her to sit by her. She reached into her backpack, and, instead of the sketchbook she was expecting to find, was greeted by wood. Peering inside, it appeared to be a small jewellery box.

That’s odd. Was that there before?

Excusing herself to the bathroom, Marinette shut herself inside a cubicle to inspect it further. The design etched in red on the surface was intricate, reminiscent of Ancient Greek designs combined with Celtic knots. She definitely didn’t remember having something like this before.

Curiously, she opened it. There was a piece of folded paper resting in the box, which she lifted up to check underneath.

Nestled among the red velvet lining was a pair of black studs. They seemed innocuous enough. She reached out and stroked them, but startled back when they glowed.

From the glow emerged a…thing. It was tiny - crimson with black spots andantennae,resembling a ladybug but with little legs and arms. Its eyes wereclosed, and when it opened them they were large and dark blue.

It smiled at Marinette.

“Greetings!”

It spoke!

It spoke?!

Marinette whisper-screamed, dropped the box and scrambled backwards, pressing her back against the wall.

“A bug?? A mouse! A talking bug-mouse!!!”

“I’m a kwami!” It (she?) said helpfully.

Marinette stayed very still, her eyes fixed on it, and hoped it -the kwami- whatever- wouldn’t move closer.

“Well, if that makes you feel better, then that’s fine,” it allowed.

“My name is Tikki, and I am the guardian of the Miraculous of the Ladybug. As I said, I am a kwami, which means I am essentially a mini-god, and my realm is that of good luck and creation.”

Needless to say, Marinette was confused. Remembering the paper in her grasp, she unfolded it to find neat script, telling her what Tikki had just informed her, and to ‘wear the guise of the Ladybug at 12pm. Clearly, it was intended for her, but she was skeptical of why, let alone how.

She looked back at Tikki, who tilted her head good-naturedly.

“What is ‘the guise of the Ladybug?” she asked, askance.

Tikki smiled. “A miraculous, like these earrings, is what will enable you to use the superpowers of creation, provided by me, to defend Paris!”

**ADRIEN** paled. “S-Superpowers of destruction? But- why? And why me?”

Plagg, as the little black cat creature was called, was kneading his pillow, already making himself at home. He purred.

“Kid, you’re clearly being suffocated in this stuffy place. The Master could see it. Don’t you want the freedom that being a cat-hero will give you?”

  
Adrien had to admit, he was awfully tempted by the offer. He was barely allowed to go outside anymore - he was feeling like a bizarre Rapunzel without a love interest. But, if his father found out-

“Oh, and kid- being Chat Noir will keep you anonymous. Nobody will know that it’s you unless you’re stupid enough to tell them.”

At Adrien’s hesitant expression, Plagg softened. “Just try it out this once. You don’t have to do it if you feel like you’re not up to it, but just try it before you decide.”

Adrien traced the ring in the box in thought.

He turned to face the little kwami, fire burning in his eyes.

“Tell me what to do to become Chat Noir.”

**MARINETTE,** admittedly very curious about this whole ordeal, slipped home for lunch and declared her trigger words, “Tikki, spots on!”

Red and black climbed up her arms and legs, and she launched herself from her balcony, getting the hang of using her yoyo. She swung down to the Pont des Arts, where a little old man was hunched over on a bridge, his chin resting atop his cane.

Marinette recognised him from somewhere-- this morning! It was the old man she’d knocked over in her hurry!

She overshot her landing and crashed hard onto the bridge, nearly bowling over another person in similar get-up to her, but with cat ears instead of spots. She assumed they were the black cat hero Tikki had told her would be her partner.

The old man got up and padded over to the fallen heroes, offering them each a hand they gratefully accepted.

“I’m glad you could make it,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “I’ve been expecting you. I am Wang Fu, and I was the one who gave you the Miraculous, as I am the current Master, or Guardian.”

He began walking away, talking as he did so, Marinette and the black cat hero scrambling to keep pace.

  
“I trust that your kwami have explained to you the mechanics of the miraculous?” He stopped to look at them expectantly, and they hastened to reassure him.

“Good. That means you know that your kwami provide you with your hero costume and your powers, and that you are the embodiments of creation and destruction. You are meant to work together.”

They stopped in front of a small apartment, and after making sure there was nobody around to watch them, Wang Fu opened the door for them to come inside.

They folded themselves over a small table, and Fu poured them some tea.

At both heroes’ confused expressions, Master Fu sighed and sat down opposite them.

“The reason I chose you two, Ladybug,” he nodded at Marinette, “and Chat Noir,” he glanced at the blond boy next to Marinette, “is because the miraculous are supposed to be keepers of the peace and harmony. They are forces of good,” he explained.

“However, one of the miraculous has gotten into the hands of evil. Without a superhero to fight it, they will be unstoppable. There’s no telling when this super-villain may attack, or what motivation they may have for doing so. This is why I need you to be the heroes Paris will need to fight this evil, and restore the balance.”

Master Fu appeared completely serious as he said this, and Marinette felt she had no choice but to believe him— even if it seemed ridiculous. (Wow, she just sounded like Chloé there)

The boy next to her -Chat Noir- frowned. “Why are you relying on us? I’m in high school. I don’t think I could fight bad guys, as much as I’d want to.”

Master Fu laughed. “You two have been chosen - being Ladybug and Chat Noir requires a specific kind of character. Don’t worry, I’ll guide you through it and will regularly train you. But I can’t fight it alone.” He winced, and the sound of popping joints could be heard. “I’m getting too old to be a superhero.”

“You don’t look old, Sir.’ Chat Noir blurted. Clearly he was comfortable in his anonymity, Marinette thought.

“You’re too kind, Chat Noir. But I’m turning 187 this year!”

He laughed at their incredulous expressions, but didn’t elaborate further.

Master Fu paused and watched them both. Chat Noir seemed politely intrigued, while Ladybug was more skeptical.

Marinette summoned forth her courage. “S-Sir? I-I mean, Master?”

“Yes, Ladybug? What is it?” He encouraged.

Marinette (Ladybug???) flushed, stumbling through her question. “I’m- I’m not sure you have the right person for the job. I- it’s just- I don’t think I’m up for it. I just have a lotofresponsibililtiesrightnow and imnotreallysureimcutoutforbeingasuperhero I-I-I mean-“ She clapped her hands over her mouth and gave a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry.”

Master Fu softened, and smiled at them both. He placed a comforting hand on their shoulders.

“I think you both know deep down that you are cut out for this. You were chosen for a reason, and I’m sure you will also find your reasons for becoming Ladybug and Chat Noir. I don’t want to put pressure on you, but Paris needs their heroes. I believe in you, and when Paris sees you, they will too.”

**MARINETTE** stumbled back into class, head reeling from all these new revelations. Alya waved at her. Bizarrely, she was sitting in a different seat. She squinted. Isn’t that Chloé’s seat?

She slid into the bench beside her.

“Hey Marinette!” Alya whispered. “I thought I’d change things up a little!”

“What are you doing? This is Chloé’s seat!” Marinette hissed. “She’ll kill us!”

Alya grinned. “Nah, she won’t. We’ve got to set the record straight with her, especially with the macarons. You can’t let her keep tearing you down!”

Marinette chewed her lip, heart rate spiking. She really didn’t want to have to confront Chloé today.

Chloé strode back into the classroom, Sabrina trailing faithfully behind. She spotted Alya (and Marinette) in her seat, and stormed up to them.

She slammed her hand down on the desk in front of them. “Hey! What are you doing in my seat? I didn’t consent to that!”

Unperturbed, Alya looked up. (In the background, Marinette was trying to become one with the bench.)

“Well, we’ll move if you’d give Marinette her macarons back.” Alya crossed her arms and leant on the desk. “Maybe that’s fair trade? Since, you know, you did take them without asking her. And I took your seat without asking you!”

Chloe flushed. Some of the class were beginning to look at them. (Marinette attempted to hide even more)

“I wouldn’t want to cause a scene right now, Chloé,” Alya said, softer. “We’ll move back if you give back the macarons.”

There was a pause. A few seconds of empty silence passed between them, as Chloé seemed to deem the macarons not worth it.

Adrien wouldn’t be coming this year, anyway.

She motioned to Sabrina, who extricated the box from her backpack, and gave it back to Marinette. Shell-shocked, she gripped it tightly as Alya steered them back into the seats they had in the morning.

“H-How.. did you do that?!” Marinette stared at her, astounded.

Alya grinned. “You know, it’s like Majestia always says. The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to stand aside and do nothing!” She paused. “Well, not that Chloé isn’t inherently evil. Maybe her personality just needs some ironing, but still. I won’t stand around when a friend of mine is getting pushed around!”

Marinette’s eyes widened in realisation. She recalled the Ladybug miraculous. If Alya could stand up so easily to bullies like Chloé, then, maybe, she could also stand up to evil in Paris.

Her mind was made up. She reached into her backpack.

The black jewellery box rested in her enclosed fist.

**ADRIEN** was inspecting his new ring, spread-eagle on his bed. He watched the way light refracted off its surface. Plagg, his new kwami, was gnawing on a wedge of Camembert on his pillow - which killed him a bit inside but he didn’t say anything.

(Apparently, that was his favourite food, so Adrien guessed he’d have to get used to it).

He bit his lip.

“Hey, Plagg, I’m going to go talk to my father. I’ll be right back.”

Plagg didn’t respond. He was comatose on his pillow - the camembert had apparently knocked him out cold. Adrien slipped out.

Hesitantly, he knocked on his father’s office. Nathalie opened the door.

“I- I just wanted to speak to Father, if he is available,” he scratched his neck. 

His father’s voice sounded from behind Nathalie. “I have a few moments to spare, but make it brief.”

He stepped around her, fiddling with his new ring. His father was working behind his monitor, presumably on new designs. “Father,” he approached, “you said a few days ago that Mother had left to go somewhere. Do… do you know when she’ll be coming back? It’s been a week or two now, shouldn’t she be back by now?” I miss her, he thought.

There was a pause. He risked a nervous glance upwards, at his father’s face. A shadow had been cast over his expression.

“She’s… not coming back.”Gabriel eventually admitted. “Not for a long time,” he said quietly.

Adrien’s stomach dropped, stone in a river. It was clear as day Gabriel believed what he was saying, as cruel as it was to hear. Adrien tried to keep the hot tears at bay. “I- I don’t understand. Why? Why would she leave without even saying goodbye?” His face crumpled. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

Gabriel erupted, slamming his stylus down on his desk. “I DON’T KNOW, ADRIEN.” He caught himself, breathed deeply and scowled at Adrien’s tear-streaked face. “Stop this idiocy at once. You are dismissed.” 

Adrien flinched at his father’s harsh tone. Then he turned tail and ran out of his office, passing an impassive Nathalie on the way.

Bursting into his room, he swiped a framed photo of his mother from his desk and cradled it close, taking gulping breaths to stay strong and not cry. He would be strong about this. If his mother had left, it must have been something she needed to do. Even if that meant leaving him alone with his father. He could be strong. He could do this.

As the hours passed, he regained control over his emotions, and his resolve hardened. There was a fire burning inside him, now.

He would help people in situations like his mother. He would save Paris as Chat Noir. Maybe -he could hope- he could find her, wherever she’d gone. But he knew he couldn’t stay trapped inside his gilded cage forever. Chat Noir could help him keep his freedom.

Adrien knew what he had to do.

He grinned.

**Author's Note:**

> so this is origins! I thought it would be nice if they were given the names LB and CN, otherwise, it kind of doesn't make sense that they somehow Knew to call themselves that. (also just letting you know, you may be in for a wild ride - I have everything planned out from start to finish lol)  
> anyway, I hope you liked it! let me know what you think :) (constructive criticism and opinions are appreciated!) I'll try to update as regularly as I can, but I'll let you know if there are some changes!


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